"Just last year the Industry Minister, Senator Kim Carr, dismissed these programs as wasteful, complicated and an unnecessary use of finite resources," he said.

"So certainly in bringing this in the Government seems to have humiliated the Industry Minister."

Mr Abbott was campaigning in Western Australia, where he vowed to look after the interests of the resources industry from the mining town of Kalgoorlie.

There, Mr Abbott again suggested the Government would seek to increase the rate of its proposed mining tax if it wins the election.

"The way these things operate, once the legislation is through the parliament it's probably only going to be the stroke of a pen that will enable other minerals to be brought in and the rate of the tax to be changed," he said.

He has vowed that the minerals resource rent tax will not be introduced if the Coalition wins the election, saying he understands the industry's anxiety.

"If the Government gets re-elected it won't be Labor's mining tax that gets through it'll be the Greens' mining tax because the Greens will hold the balance of power in the Senate," he said.

"As far as I'm concerned the Coalition won't let you down."

Mr Abbott also spent his time in WA addressing the concerns of women voters.

Speaking at the state Liberal Party conference in Perth, Mr Abbott emphasised the number of women on his staff and the strong influence his wife, daughters and sisters have on his life.

He told the conference that while the Coalition is not necessarily expected to win the election, he believes it can.